Right then, that wraps up the second Test of the 2024 Richards-Botham Trophy, where England registered a win by a massive margin of 241 runs to seal the series. While West Indies gave a tough fight, it was not enough to produce a favourable outcome but there were plenty of positives Kraigg Brathwaite and Co. will take into the next Test. The third and final Test of the series starts on Friday, 26th July at Edgbaston in Birmingham with the first ball to be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). As always, you can join us in advance for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The captain of England, Ben Stokes says that the kind of comeback the boys showed was quite exceptional and Bashir showed the world the kind of ability he has on a surface that not necessarily favours spin. Appreciates Root and Brook for playing through those tough conditions and says that he felt they were a few runs short but with the pressure of chasing, 380 on the last day it gets really difficult.

Kraigg Brathwaite, the skipper of West Indies, says that they did not quite have the all-round performance and played well in patches. Further adds that the team lacks some discipline and England showed them the way one needs to bowl on such surfaces and it is certain that the boys will learn going ahead. Talks about the dropped catches and says that happens and they will need to keep doing it better and take care of the controllables. Concludes that Test cricket is never easy and they need to stay mentally tough and this is not the end of the world and they will keep fighting.

Ollie Pope is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his superb ton. He says that it was a top day for the team. Says that Joe Root and Harry Brook did well to negotiate the tough phase when the ball was moving. Feels really good about where his game is at.

Time for the presentation ceremony…

On the opening morning, West Indies won the toss and inserted England into bat. The first new ball was poorly utilized, with erratic lengths and deliveries sprayed on both sides of the wicket, allowing England to take full advantage.’ Bazball’ was in full flow as Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope took the attack to the opposition.

Patience defined England’s approach on Day 2. Rather than waiting for the Windies batters to falter, Ben Stokes used proactive captaincy to create opportunities. Three quick wickets before lunch suggested England might bowl out the West Indies by day’s end, but a resilient 175-run partnership between Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge forced England to work hard. This was before Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis weathered the initial challenge before the Windies’ top order stumbled. Although Athanaze fell short of a century, Hodge capitalized on his second chance after being dropped on 16, achieving his maiden Test ton.

On Day 3, England came out all guns blazing, making the most of the overhead conditions. Chris Woakes led the attack as the pacers maintained tight lines, quickly taking four wickets in the first session. However, towards the end of the session, Joshua Da Silva stood firm at one end, receiving much-needed support from Shamar Joseph at the other. Together, they stitched a 71-run partnership, surpassing the deficit and giving England an additional 41-run to play for. Despite losing Zak Crawley to an unfortunate dismissal, England started strong, thanks to solid performances from Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. A change in the ball gave the West Indies a real burst of momentum, and they capitalized, dismissing both Duckett and Pope. Joe Root and Harry Brook then steadied the innings, building a partnership that pushed the lead to 207 runs by the end of Day 3.

The day began with Joe Root and Harry Brook picking up where they left off on Day 3. The two Yorkshiremen respected the good balls while punishing the bad ones, navigating through the first hour with ease. After batting so well for his maiden Test hundred at home, a rash shot led to Brook’s downfall. The West Indies pounced on this opening, ending the session on a high with a couple more wickets to keep themselves in the game.

The second session saw West Indies chip away at the wickets with the second new ball. Joe Root, undeterred by the fall of wickets at the other end, carried on his merry way to bring up his 32nd Test ton. On a surface where picking wickets has been anything but easy, Jayden Seales bowled his heart out to finish with a richly deserved four-wicket haul. England, who at one stage, were on course to end up with a lead above 400, lost their last 7 wickets for 96 runs to end up with a lead of 385 runs.

In pursuit of 386 runs, it was yet another encouraging start with the bat by the West Indies. One may argue, though, that the new ball pairing of Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson did not bowl full enough to induce the false shot, and the argument is not wrong. Take nothing away from the two Windies openers, though, as Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis applied themselves well to keep the English pacers at bay. It was not just block, block, block as the two openers scored at 4.69 runs per over to end the first hour after Tea at 61/0.

Well, things escalated rather quickly, didn’t they? An hour into this extended final session, with West Indies well placed at 61/0, not many thought the Test would not go into Day 5 but what followed was a swift collapse triggered by Chris Woakes nicking Mikyle Louis off. Once the door was open, Woakes and Shoaib Bashir helped England barge through. From 61/0, West Indies slumped to 91/6 within the blink of an eye as Woakes and Bashir blew them away.

ENGLAND CLAIM 2024 THE RICHARDS-BOTHAM TROPHY! Ben Stokes and his men script a remarkable turnaround to go 2-0 up in this three-match series.

36.1 – OUT! TIMBER! Shoaib Bashir sneaks through to get to his five-fer!

Batsman_1 : Shamar Joseph 8(11)

Batsman_2 : Jayden Seales 8(10)

Bowler : Shoaib Bashir 5/41(11.1)

Over : 36.1

Run : 0

Wicket : 1

Score : 143/10

35.6 – Short and on middle, Shamar Joseph pulls it off the upper half of the bat to deep mid-wicket for a single. He will reatin strike for the next over.

Batsman_1 : Shamar Joseph 8(10)

Batsman_2 : Jayden Seales 8(10)

Bowler : Gus Atkinson 2/49(9)

Over : 36

Run : 5

Wicket : 0

Score : 143/9

35.5 – No run.

35.4 – FOUR! Connects it right and compensates for the last two deliveries does Shamar Joseph! Too full from Atkinson into the stumps, Joseph clears his leg and lofts it over the bowler’s head for a boundary.

35.3 – On a nagging length, outside off with some away movement. Shamar Joseph goes for a big swing but plays it inside the line.

35.2 – Cramps the batter with a good length delivery on middle and leg, Shamar Joseph tries to keep it out but is wrapped high on the pad.

35.1 – Lands it short and outside off, Shamar Joseph looks for the pull but connects with thin air.